


Beneath the Stars

by Aquata



Category: Rush Hour (TV 2016)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Romance, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 19:23:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10419504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquata/pseuds/Aquata
Summary: Carter has been trying to keep his feelings for Lee hidden. But when he takes Lee stargazing after a tough day at work, it might just be exactly what they need to change things between them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been longer than I intended since I last posted a fic but things have been kind of busy!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this. These two need some romantic stargazing in their lives!

"Ugh," Carter groaned, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. He held them there for a moment, watching starbursts dance across his vision from the pressure and then pulled them away to look morosely at the mound of files on his desk.

Their latest case was quickly turning into a nightmare of heavy, data filled reading and no new leads. He'd been reading through the client files of the victim all day and it had his head swimming with facts and figures. He could feel himself getting lost in it all, getting so overwhelmed by information that he could barely tell which way was up anymore.

A quick glance over at Lee showed that he was completely absorbed in his half of the files but the slight, irritated crease on his forehead showed that he wasn't getting anywhere either. Carter watched him for a few moments, unable to simply tear his eyes away from the sight of him. He had always found that little crease extremely adorable and every time he saw it, it had him wanting to reach out a hand to smooth it out with his fingers.

He sighed and pushed that thought away, looking back at the files in front of him and coming to the conclusion that he wasn't going to get anything else done today.

"Right, that's it. We're getting out of here," he declared, pushing his chair back from his desk and standing up, one hand already reaching for the jacket that was slung across the back of his seat.

At the desk opposite his, Lee's head jerked up at the sudden movement, surprise showing clearly in his eyes as he looked across at Carter. It was only a moment before his brow started to furrow into a frown though and Carter could practically see the argument that was forming on his tongue so he cut in quickly before Lee could start being difficult.

"And don't even think about trying to stay here without me," he said, pointing an accusing finger at his partner. "You're coming too."

Lee looked slightly affronted at being told what to do, that stubborn set of his jaw that always meant he wasn't going to back down from an argument making an appearance. Luckily Carter had plenty of experience dealing with his obstinate partner and he knew when he needed to change tactics.

"C'mon Lee," he said, letting his voice soften and turning his expression pleading in the hope that Lee might give in and take pity on him. "We've been working ourselves to the bone on this one. We need a break. I'm not seeing anything right now and I know you can't be either, no matter what you say. We need to go away and come back tomorrow with fresh eyes."

He watched Lee's expression carefully, seeing him turn the argument over in his head, his eyes dipping down to the open file in his hands. Finally Lee sighed and rubbed an exasperated hand over his eyes before looking back up at Carter, his expression worn.

"Okay," he said, closing the file and standing up. Carter blinked at him in surprise; he had really expected more of an argument but he wasn't going to question it. He watched as Lee shrugged into his jacket, his shoulders tense and Carter wanted more than anything to reach out and soothe the rigid set of them.

Instead he pushed that desire down, hiding it away with all the other little urges that Lee inspired in him, like the urge to pull him into his arms whenever he got that sad look that said he was thinking about his family, or the urge to trace his thumb across Lee's mouth whenever he smiled at him properly.

He was running out of space to bury all of the things he wanted to do to Lee but it was pointless dwelling on things he couldn't have so he just carried on hiding them away in an effort to pretend that he hadn't fallen head over heels in love with his partner.

They walked down to the car in silence but repeated glances over at Lee showed that he didn't look focused on where they were going, his thoughts elsewhere; he was clearly still thinking about the case.

"Man, you need to relax," Carter mused quietly, an idea starting to form in his mind. "Thankfully, I know just the place!"

Lee blinked at the words, his expression turning suspicious as he looked over at Carter.

"Where?" he asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"It's a surprise," Carter told him with a bright smile, suddenly sure that this was exactly what Lee needed.

"A surprise," Lee repeated dully.

"Yeah, man, a surprise. Don't they have surprises in China?" Carter teased.

Lee rolled his eyes and huffed in exasperation but Carter knew him well enough by now to know that he didn't mean anything by it.

"I am not going to a club with you."

"We're not going to a club, Lee. Give me some credit for actually knowing my partner," Carter told him, nudging him with his elbow and grinning at the put upon sigh that Lee gave at the action. There was no actual irritation in it though, and there was the slightest twitch in the corner of his mouth that hinted at the beginnings of a smile.

"Fine," Lee said. "But it had better be good."

"It is, I swear," Carter promised, pulling out his keys as they reached the car. "Just trust me okay?"

It was a throwaway request but for some reason it had Lee pulling up short and looking at him seriously for a long moment that seemed to stretch on and on.

"I do," he said quietly, his expression almost soft and something inside Carter lurched at the unexpected proclamation, his heart skipping a beat at the gentle look on Lee's face and the unconditional trust his words implied. It sent something warm and pleased curling through him and it took him a moment to realize that he was staring, a happy smile starting to curl across his lips as he looked at Lee.

He cleared his throat, suddenly at a loss for what to say as he dragged his eyes away from Lee's.

"Good," he said roughly. "I mean, I trust you too, y'know."

He glanced back at him and took a second to appreciate the small smile that tugged at Lee's lips, before turning away quickly as a warm flush started to creep up his cheeks. He climbed into the car, trying not to dwell too much on the strange moment they had just shared. It was bringing up all those buried urges again and he needed to pull himself away before he did something stupid.

As he pulled out onto the road, he still couldn't quite manage to keep the pleased smile off of his face though.

~~~

They drove in companionable silence and Carter couldn't help chancing quick glances over at his partner. Lee was watching their surroundings curiously, obviously wondering where Carter was taking him, but he didn't try to ask where they were going again, clearly taking the whole surprise thing very seriously.

They drove out of the city and the bemused look that formed on Lee's face had Carter grinning to himself in amusement.

Finally, he turned off the road onto a dirt track and pulled over, parking the car on the grass. He shut off the engine and everything was plunged suddenly into peaceful silence. It was dark without the headlights but the moon was bright enough that they could still see and Carter climbed out of the car, hoping that Lee would like this surprise.

Behind him he heard Lee get out of the car and turned to see him staring at the distant lights of the city.

"It's beautiful," he said and Carter smiled at him softly.

"It is," he agreed. "But that's not actually why we're here."

"It's not?" Lee asked, turning questioning eyes on Carter as he came to stand next to him. Carter shook his head and nudged him with his elbow.

"Look up," he said and Lee tipped his head back without further question, his mouth opening slightly as he took in the sight of the star filled sky. This far out from the city, there was less light pollution and so many stars were visible that it always took Carter's breath away when he saw them.

"It's _beautiful_ ," Lee breathed, an echo of the words he had spoken just a minute ago but this time filled with a sense of almost wonder. If Carter hadn't already been head over heels for him, that breathless little sentence right there coupled with the awed expression on his face would have done it.

Sometimes it just hit him how much he loved this man and in that moment, watching Lee stare up at the stars, he loved him so much he could barely breath with it. It had him yearning to reach out and touch him, such a sense of longing welling up in his chest that he ached with it and his hand twitched at his side with the urge to do just that.

He held himself back before he could actually do it though and instead turned his gaze to the stars, taking in the breathtakingly beautiful view and enjoying the knowledge that Lee was right there with him, sharing this moment.

"Sometimes, when I need to get away from everything, I come out here," Carter confessed quietly as he looked up at the sky. "It's so peaceful. I like to just sit and watch the stars. It helps me relax when a case is getting to me."

"Like today," Lee said, a statement not a question.

"Like today," Carter agreed with a nod. They lapsed into silence for a while, simply enjoying the view and the peaceful quiet around them, but after a few minutes Carter lowered his gaze, glad to see that the tense line of Lee's shoulders had started to relax somewhat as he looked up at the glittering night sky.

"There's a blanket in the trunk," Carter said, already turning to fetch it. "Should save us craning our necks like idiots."

Lee made a faint sound of acknowledgement and Carter smiled to himself as he opened the trunk of the car and pulled a blanket out, tucking it under one arm as he closed the trunk again and turned to find somewhere to spread it out.

He settled on a flat patch of grass not far from where Lee was standing and shook the blanket out, tugging the edges into place before throwing himself down on it and settling on his back to look up at the night sky in comfort. He left plenty of space next to him for Lee and listened to his partner's quiet footsteps as he wandered over.

He saw Lee appear in the edge of his vision and watched as he hesitated at the side of the blanket. Carter waited a few moments but Lee still showed no sign of moving.

"Don't tell me you're worried about getting your suit dirty," Carter said, a teasing note in his voice as he tipped his head to the side to look up at his partner.

Lee huffed out a breath at that. "If I was worried about my suit, I would not have climbed into that dumpster last week to catch our suspect."

"Ugh, yeah that was nasty," Carter said, wrinkling his nose at the memory. "I hope you burned that suit."

"I took it to the dry cleaner's," Lee answered and then chewed his lip for a moment. "I think she hates me," he added and Carter laughed.

"Well no wonder if you keep showing up with your suits covered in blood and garbage!"

"The first time I gave her one with blood on, I had to show her my badge to convince her not to call the police," Lee admitted. "And I had to tell her that I had been trying to stop my partner bleeding everywhere."

Carter made a disgruntled sound at that. "How do you manage to make it sound like my fault for bleeding?" he asked with a pout. "I was hurt! You're s'posed to make me out to be a hero!"

"I promise that I made you sound very valiant and heroic when I told her the story," Lee said placatingly, a small smile forming on his lips, and Carter was certain that he was being humored here.

"Well good," he sniffed. "I _was_ valiant and heroic."

He watched as Lee's smile grew wider, an affectionate look forming on his face, and having that affection aimed at him was almost enough to make him feel giddy with it. His own mouth curled into a bright grin as he looked up at him and he reached out a hand to pat the space next to him.

"C'mon man, get your ass down here and look at the stars with me," he said and beamed when Lee complied, laying down next to him and looking up at the night sky. There was only enough room for the smallest of gaps between them and it was so incredibly tempting to reach out and touch but Carter held himself back with difficulty.

"I bet you know all their names," he said instead, nodding up at the stars in an attempt to distract himself from his partner's proximity.

"There are too many to know all of their names," Lee told him seriously and Carter huffed with laughter at the way Lee often took things so literally.

"I'm sure you know some of them though," he said, tilting his head sideways to look at him.

"Some," Lee admitted, his dark eyes looking back at Carter.

"Go on then." Carter waved a vague hand at the sky. "Tell me about them."

He watched as Lee looked back up at the stars again, his expression turning thoughtful as he decided where to start. Carter loved watching him like this, loved watching that clever mind turn an idea over as he thought it through.

Finally he tipped his head up and pointed to a star in the distance.

"That is Polaris, the pole star," he said quietly and Carter edged closer to follow the line of his arm to the star he was pointing at.

"The bright one?" he asked and Lee made a sound of agreement.

"It is brighter than most other stars. People often think that it's the brightest star in the sky but it isn't. It's important for another reason though."

"What's that?"

"It is almost directly above the north pole, which means that it stays almost still in the sky as the earth rotates. It can be used to tell which way is north and was used by travelers for that purpose."

"That's...kinda cool actually," Carter admitted, flicking his eyes over to Lee just in time to see the pleased expression on his face. "You know a lot about this, huh?" The confident knowledge in his voice was obvious.

He watched as Lee nodded, his eyes still on the stars. "When I was a child, I liked to read about the stars. I have always enjoyed seeing them."

There was something wistful in his tone and Carter couldn't help suspecting there was something that Lee had missed out. He didn't want to push it though when he was enjoying this peaceful moment so much.

"Go on, tell me some more then," he said with a smile and Lee quickly complied.

"In China, the stars represent the layout of an imperial court," he said and Carter kept his eyes on him, enjoying the contented expression on his face and the way he sounded so interested in the things he was talking about. This was just about as animated as he had ever seen his partner.

He knew he was staring but he couldn't bring himself to look away, not when Lee looked so relaxed and into the subject. His voice was quiet and confident as he spoke, and Carter would happily listen to it all night. He dimly thought that they would have to do this again at some point because he had never heard Lee talk so much since he had met him and he looked so happy to be there that Carter would offer to spend every night there if that's what Lee wanted.

He drank in every word that Lee was saying, watching his mouth as he spoke and listening as he described the different enclosures that the sky was split into in the Chinese system. He looked so beautiful in the moonlight as he talked enthusiastically and Carter felt like he was falling in love all over again, his heart fluttering in his rib cage and his chest growing tight with the sudden overwhelming flood of love he felt for him.

He knew the look on his own face could probably only be described as besotted but he found himself helpless to do anything about it. He could only hope that Lee wouldn't look across at him and see the emotion that was so clearly written across his face that it would be obvious to anybody, even with just the moonlight to see by.

Next to him, Lee finished his explanation and trailed off, lulling into silence. Carter immediately missed the sound of his voice and the soft enthusiasm of it. He cast around for something to start Lee talking again and eventually just reached up a hand and pointed at a random star.

"What's that one?" he asked and Lee let out a breath that might have been a laugh.

"I do not know," he said and Carter gasped mockingly, pressing a dramatic hand to his chest. Lee chuckled at that and swatted a hand at Carter's arm, an unusually affectionate gesture from him that had Carter grinning happily.

"Okay, what about that one?" he asked, pointing at another one, and Lee tipped his head closer to see where he was pointing. He was so close now that their shoulders and hips pressed together and Carter could feel the heat of his body.

"That is Vega," Lee answered, his voice low and so close that it sent a shiver through Carter. He knew that if he turned his head, he would find Lee's face only inches from his own and, while he knew that it was merely for the convenience of seeing which star he was pointing to, it still had his heart rate kicking up a notch.

"There is a very famous Chinese myth about it," Lee continued, his voice turning hesitant as if unsure whether Carter was interested in hearing it.

"I'm listening," he said instantly, trying to assuage that uncertainty. Lee paused for a moment and Carter wondered if he was figuring out where to start but he waited patiently, content to listen to the sound of Lee's breathing and feel his closeness.

"In the story, Vega is the weaving girl, called Zhi Nu," Lee started. "She was a weaver for the gods and goddesses but she fell in love with a mortal called Niu Lang, a cowherd. They married and had two children. They were very happy together."

"But they could not stay that way. There are many versions of what happened. In some, the Goddess of heaven was angry that Zhi Nu had fallen in love with a mere mortal. But in the version my mother told, Zhi Nu was so happy with her family that she neglected her weaving duties and angered the Goddess."

Carter glanced across at Lee for an instant, suddenly understanding that wistfulness that had entered Lee's voice when he spoke of learning about the stars as a child. It seemed his mother had been involved and he knew how much Lee missed his parents. He was glad though that Lee was sharing this with him, was comfortable sharing the stories that had been passed down from his mother.

"What happened next?" he asked quietly.

"She was taken back to heaven, away from her husband."

"That's kinda harsh," Carter blurted before he could stop himself and looked across just in time to see Lee smile fondly, an expression that filled him with sudden warmth. "Did they see each other again?"

"Niu Lang took their children and followed her to heaven," Lee said and then pointed up at another star. "He is that star, Altair, and the two stars either side are their children."

"So then they lived happily ever after?" Carter asked hopefully.

"No," Lee replied quietly. "The Goddess was angry and would not allow it. She took out her hairpin and drew a wide river between them so that they would be separated forever."

"Forever? Oh c'mon, I was rooting for them!" Carter exclaimed. "Is that it? They just never see each other again?"

"No, there is more. Once every year, all the magpies in the world take pity on them and fly up to form a bridge between them so that they may see each other again," he drew a line across the sky between the two stars.

Carter followed the movement with his eyes, thinking that it was actually kind of romantic in a tragic sort of way; two people who loved each other so much that they would wait a whole year just to see each other again for a short time.

"That's really sad, man," he said, looking at the space between the two stars and thinking that he would never want to be separated from Lee like that, even if they weren't together in the way he wanted. "I mean, at least they do get to see each other but to spend so much time apart..."

Beside him Lee made a sound of agreement and they lapsed into silence, the quiet tranquility of their surroundings washing over them as they watched the stars. Carter let his attention drift, enjoying this peaceful end to the day and wondering what other stories Lee could tell him.

They were still pressed closely together but neither of them made any move to pull apart and Carter couldn't help wondering what that meant because Lee seemed perfectly content to remain that close to him. Was there any chance Lee was feeling the same way he did?

He turned his head slightly to look over at him and found Lee already looking back, an almost gentle look in his eyes that Carter had never seen there before. It was enough to send fragile hope skittering through his chest and for a long moment they simply looked at each other until Lee finally broke the silence.

"Thank you for bringing me out here," he said softly and Carter felt warm fingertips brush against the back of his hand in a barely there gesture. He wanted desperately to flip his hand over and lace their fingers together but there was something fragile hovering unspoken in the air between them and he was worried that he might break it.

"If I'd known you liked the stars so much, I would have brought you out here sooner," he said and Lee smiled at him, one of his rare, proper smiles that showed his dimples. It made Carter feel like he was falling.

"Really?"

"Of course," Carter told him, because it was true. If he had known, he would have dragged Lee out here the first chance he got, just to see that smile. "It makes you happy. And that... that makes me happy."

It wasn't the kind of thing he would normally admit to and he could feel his cheeks heating up with embarrassment but Lee was suddenly looking at him with such awe, the same awe that had been reserved for the stars just now, that his embarrassment faded to be replaced by a dazed happiness that he had been the one to put that expression there.

"I have never met anyone quite like you, James Carter," Lee said, his voice hushed as he twisted onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at Carter. He was so close and the position was so clearly intimate that Carter's breath caught in his throat, his eyes darting to Lee's lips for a moment before returning to meet his gaze.

"Is that a good thing?" he asked quietly, struggling to form the words when Lee was looking at him like that.

He was having trouble believing that this was actually real. It felt more like one of the daydreams that he had a tendency to fall into whenever he had too much spare time on his hands but it finally gave him the courage to reach out and take Lee's hand in his own, tentatively threading their fingers together and feeling the warmth of his skin.

"It is a very good thing," Lee murmured, his thumb stroking lightly against Carter's, his head dipping down slightly until their mouths were just inches apart. There was a breathless moment of anticipation and then he ducked his head further to finally press their mouths together.

It was slow and gentle, and Carter practically melted against him as he kissed back, his free hand sliding up into Lee's hair without him even thinking about it.

"Lee," he breathed in the space between kisses and Lee made an answering sound in the back of his throat, his fingers slipping out of Carter's so that he could cup his palm against his jaw, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

They stayed like that, trading slow lingering kisses, until Carter felt almost dizzy with it, the joy of finally having what he wanted leaving him warm and happy.

When they finally pulled apart, Lee pressed their foreheads together and Carter curled a hand around the back of his neck to stop him from going any further.

"Damn," he murmured as they breathed the same air. "I _really_ should've brought you out here sooner."

Lee laughed quietly and Carter could almost feel the vibration of it against his lips so he pressed forwards, chasing after it and sealing their mouths together again. He could feel the curve of Lee's smile against his lips, something he had wanted to experience almost since the first time he saw that smile.

It had him sighing into the kiss, one hand curling in the front of Lee's shirt to pull him closer as he lost himself in gentle kisses beneath a sea of stars.

**Author's Note:**

> Well I hope you liked it!
> 
> If anyone's wondering, I made Lee use the western names for the stars because he was speaking English so I figured he'd use those names rather than the Chinese because he totally knows both names. Hopefully I didn't skim over his explanations of things too much but I didn't want it to turn into a lecture about stars rather than being about Carter and Lee!
> 
> There's also lots of versions of the story of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang but I couldn't tell them all so this is what I ended up going with.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you thought!


End file.
